ICB Special Feature: Highlights of 2023

In this Special Feature, we bring you the “Highlights of 2023”, a collection of short articles that discuss key research findings published in 2023 that advanced a specific research area of immunology. Booty¹ discusses recent mechanistic insights in T-cell immunometabolism, highlighting pathways and metabolites that modulate T effector and T regulatory (Treg) cell function in cancer and autoimmunity. Zhang and Chong² review key findings demonstrating the roles of microRNA in T-cell apoptosis and differentiation and Treg proliferation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and myeloma. Makuyana and Liston³ focus on publications revealing new functions for Treg cells in the lung, including in alveolar regeneration. Guo et al.⁴ highlight work that has advanced our understanding of age-related effects on T cells with large-scale analyses showing genetic, transcriptomic and T-cell receptor repertoire changes with age. Pasquin⁵ discusses key findings in the functional characterization and diversity of γδ T cells and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. Cellular therapy was a pivotal theme in 2023. Chinni et al.⁶ highlight findings demonstrating how CD4⁺ T cells impact the manufacturing and quality of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell products and contribute to long-term tumor control and adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome. Lee and Reed⁷ discuss current clinical trials and basic research studies that are improving the specificity, safety and accessibility of CAR T-cell therapy for autoimmune disease. Bourel and Lesage⁸ focus on publications defining the phenotypic, genetic and functional attributes that influence natural killer (NK) cell–mediated killing of tumor cells for the development of NK cellular therapies. Lam and Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes⁹ continue the NK cell theme, highlighting technological advances in genomics and proteomics that elucidate key functions of NK cells in cancer and infection. Lombard-Vadnais and Lesage¹⁰ uncover the role of class switching in thymic B cells for negative selection of CD4⁺ thymocytes and Treg generation. Barra and Marshall¹¹ highlight key findings on the diversity and function of mast cells and how they integrate with host defense to prevent immune-mediated damage in barrier tissues and the central nervous system. Dashwood and Liston¹² bring us up to date on microglia biology, with mechanistic insights into cognitive development, synaptic pruning and new approaches to evaluate microglia function. Van Nieuwenhove¹³ highlights major translational advances in the detection and treatment of monogenic and polygenic pediatric immune deficiencies, autoimmunity and autoinflammation. Pankhurst and Linterman¹⁴ summarize many key discoveries in the germinal center field and the implications for long-lived humoral immunity. Together, this collection of Research Highlights is designed to update and celebrate key discoveries in immunology in 2023.

The author declares no conflicts of interest.